DE20118013U1 - Optical plug connection and distribution system for fiber optic cables - Google Patents

Description

CCS Technology, Inc. November 5, 2001

103 Foulk Road

Wilmington, Delaware 19803 E-HE-0024-DE

USA

Optical connector and
Distribution system for fiber optic cables

The invention relates to an optical plug connection for optical fibers according to the preamble of claim 1 and a distribution system for optical fiber cables according to the preamble of claim 5.

Distribution systems and suitable optical connectors play a crucial role in the construction of structured cabling for fiber optic networks. State-of-the-art distribution systems of this type can have over 1000 optical connectors. This large number of individual connectors within a distribution system and the resulting increase in the number of routings within the distribution system - i.e. plugging an optical plug into an optical socket - increases the confusion and the error rate in routings. In order to guarantee users increased safety when working on a distribution system, optical connectors that can be identified and verified are required.

An optical plug connection is known from the prior art, e.g. DE 199 20 452 A1, in which an electrical connection is used to verify the optical plug connection. This requires that, in addition to the optical fibers used for data transmission, electrical conductors are routed in the patch cable, which then serve to verify the optical plug connection. An additional electrical conductor in the patch cable is disadvantageous because it results in additional costs.

Based on this, the present invention is based on the problem of creating a novel optical plug connection and a novel distribution system for optical fiber cables.

This problem is solved by an optical plug connection with the features of claim 1. The distribution system for optical fiber cables according to the invention is defined in claim 5.

&iacgr;&ogr; EJepreferred developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following description. An embodiment is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows:

F ^: ig. 1: an optical plug connection according to the invention in a schematic side view.

An optical connector 10 according to the invention is shown in a schematic representation in Figure 1. The optical connector 10 shown there comprises an optical socket arranged on a circuit board 11

12, into which an optical connector 13 is plugged. An optical fiber cable 15 - in this case a so-called patch cable - is led to the optical connector 13 via a kink protection 14.

According to the invention, an optically readable identification device 16 is assigned to the optical connector 13. The

Identification device 16 contains information about the specific plug

13. The identification device 16 can, as shown in Figure 1, be designed as a barcode device 17 with a two-dimensional barcode.

However, depending on the required data density, the barcode device can also use a one- or three-dimensional barcode.

An optical reading device 18 is assigned to the optical socket 12. This reading device 18 can be used to read the information contained in the identification device 16 optically. The reading device 18 is preferably arranged directly next to the optical socket 12 so that when a plug 13 is inserted into the socket 12, it can read the information contained in the identification device 16. The reading device 18 can be designed using photodiodes 19, as shown in Figure 1. However, a so-called CCD chip can also be used. A barcode scanner can also be used as

γ reading device can be used. In the optical plug connection 10 according to the invention, the verification of the optical plug connection is therefore carried out optically via light.

The invention therefore has the advantage over prior art systems that use an additional electrical conductor to verify the optical plug connection that standard plugs and standard sockets can be used. A barcode label is simply attached to the plug and the reading device is placed next to the socket. Structural changes to the socket and plug are therefore not necessary.

In a distribution system for optical fiber cables according to the invention, which is not shown graphically in the present invention, several such optical plug connections, i.e. several optical plugs and several optical sockets, are provided. In such a distribution system, the optical sockets are usually organized in the form of an array in columns and rows. Optical plugs can then be plugged into this array of sockets. It is within the meaning of the invention to assign each plug an identification device that can be read optically. Each socket of the distribution system can also be assigned an optical reading device. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that several sockets are assigned a reading device at the same time. For example, all

A reading device must be assigned to sockets arranged in a row. A light beam must then be directed via a mirror or the like onto the common evaluation device so that it can read the information from all plugs in this row.

List of reference symbols

10 optical connector

11 Circuit board 12 Socket

13 plugs

14 Anti-kink protection

15 fiber optic cables

16 Identification device &iacgr;&ogr; 17 Barcode device

18 Reading device

19 Photodiode

Claims (9)

1. Optical plug connection with an optical plug ( 13 ) and an optical socket ( 12 ), characterized in that the plug ( 13 ) is assigned an identification device ( 16 ) which can be read optically. 2. Optical plug connection according to claim 1, characterized in that an optical reading device ( 18 ) is assigned to the socket ( 12 ). 3. Optical plug connection according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the identification device ( 16 ) is designed as a barcode device ( 17 ). 4. Optical plug connection according to one or more of claims 1 to claim 3, characterized in that the reading device ( 18 ) is designed as a photodiode ( 19 ). 5. Distribution system for optical fiber cables, in particular optical patch cables, with at least one optical plug ( 13 ) and at least one optical socket ( 12 ), characterized in that the or each plug ( 13 ) is assigned an identification device ( 16 ) which can be read optically. 6. Distribution system according to claim 5, characterized in that the or each socket ( 12 ) is assigned an optical reading device ( 18 ). 7. Distribution system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by a plurality of plugs ( 13 ) and a plurality of sockets ( 12 ), each plug ( 13 ) being assigned an identification device ( 16 ) and each socket ( 12 ) being assigned a reading device ( 18 ). 8. Distribution system according to one or more of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the or each identification device ( 16 ) is designed as a barcode device ( 17 ). 9. Distribution system according to one or more of claims 5 to claim 8, characterized in that the or each reading device ( 18 ) is designed as a photodiode ( 19 ).